Being in lockdown in New South Wales has been a challenging time for educators. It’s not the first time we have had to adapt our teaching practice to online learning and the process has been much smoother this year. While attending non-stop Zoom meetings and working all kinds of hours to get everything done, I have now stopped to reflect on how the formal leadership team are navigating everyone through this time of crisis.
So many things have become uncertain, and everyone has looked to senior leadership for direction. My boss made a comment in week four about looking after our mental health. In times of crisis, we put all of our energy into surviving. When the crisis continues, we may hit a plateau and lose direction once the energy fades. The truth is, the school executive are not much more informed than the rest of us when it comes to predicting the next set of rules and regulations that will be announced regarding schools.
When the leader does not know what the future holds, they’re busy planning contingencies. Over time it becomes clearer which scenario will eventuate and the way forward will already be roughly mapped out. It is much like steering a ship where the leader must have all crew on standby and ready to go when new information comes to light. Good leaders are solutions based. They don’t always have all the answers right away, but they position themselves to steer the ship to calmer waters when the opportunity arises.
I was thrilled to receive a care pack from my school in the mail last week. It was an acknowledgement of all the hard work was being noticed by the leadership team and the efforts of staff were being appreciated. A good leader trusts in the skills of the people around them. A strong team that works well together in the workplace, continues to function well when we are forced into a remote learning situation.
The leadership team has adapted their communication meetings to an online platform. Teaching practice is being modelled by encouraging staff to have a themed background in the meetings each week. This is proving to be a great conversation starter and team building exercise. I realised this is an example of how we’re being encouraged to engage students in online learning, by making classes fun and welcoming.
I have seen informal leaders emerge and thrive throughout the lockdown. The environment has allowed new ideas to be trialled, like virtual year meetings and weekly wellbeing activities to keep students connected to the school. Feedback from the community has been taken on board to establish a telephone hotline where parents and students can seek extra support from teachers for home learning tasks. The school rewards program has been reinvented to suit the online learning environment where positive acknowledgement happens via entries in a weekly prize draw.
While we’re still not out of this period of lockdown and the goal posts continue to shift, the ship is still floating and we’re moving ahead. The leaders at the top are valuing the expertise of those around them, they’re seeking feedback and listening to the views of the community and allowing informal leaders to emerge and try new ideas. The leaders know that not everything will go perfectly, but no doubt they’ve looked forward and identified potential hazards. By maintaining a steady influence on those around them, other will follow their lead. The future of schooling remains uncertain this year, but as a strong and connected team, we will continue to support our community and get through this together.
